Mami Saito
Mami Saito is a Shinigami of the Gotei 13. Appearance Mami looks as if she is somewhere in her late teens, but due to her sometimes over excitable nature, some may view her as even younger. She has a fairly light tan, almost unnoticeable to most. Her gentle blue eyes are large and expressive, although one is usually covered by her long black hair that often falls over her face. She has a pair of slender, red, half moon spectacles that she has only recently started to wear. She has had some trouble getting used to them. In spite of appearences, Mami is not a natural Brunette, her original color is actually grey, almost white. Her parents insisted that the girl dye her hair for as long as she can remember. She has no idea why, but she continues to do so for the most part even today. For a while she kept her hair black, to match her adoptive parents, but recently has begun a new style with her hair, letting half remain its natural white while she dies the other half black as she has always done. It is a small attempt to pay homage to the people that died for her, both of which she dearly wishes she could have prevented. Mami is a small woman, short and thin, and looks far more frail than she is. She has a somewhat curvy figure, noticeable even under her uniform, if an observer were to look closely enough. She has a few scars on her body, a long slash on her shoulder, and another on her stomach that is the size of Mami's fist from a wound that went straight through her body with a mark on her back to show the full extent of the injury. She has begun wearing a suit skirt and top of dark and light coloring that mirrors her hair. It has a number of pockets and buckles, far more than she normally would put up with for one outfit. It is very much not like anything that Mami would normally wear, but with her attempt at changing herself of late, perhaps that is exactly why she started wearing it. She used to wear a small red Lily in her hair. How the ornament stayed in place even with her many mishaps and accidents is among the many great mysteries of the Seireitei. After her first battle, Mami lost the flower, but feels strange without something in her hair and has been trying to find some kind of replacement. Given the flower's emotional significance to the small shinigami, this has not been easy. So, Mami has been trying a few different ornaments to try and keep her hair in order. Personality Mami can be a little shy when she first meets a person, but deep down she likes to believe that all people want to be kind to eachother, so she gets by this shyness with only some difficulty. The young woman has some confidence issues, most stemming from her near supernatural level of clumsiness. Mami tries to hides to hide these worries under an immense amount of optimism and cheer, focusing on helping other people whenever she can, simply ignoring her own weaknesses and fears in order to get the job done. She can be a little overenthusiastic, running off before having all the details being a common event for her, and even tripping over her own feet almost as soon as she starts is rarely enough to make her stop and think things through. However, if there is a choice between someone else suffering, even if she doesn’t know that person very well, and Mami herself being in pain, Mami will almost always choose herself. She doesn’t usually need very much reason to consider someone a friend, and will help that friend if she can, no matter what. History Growing up was not all that different for Mami than it was for anyone else, at least as far as she knows. Having been in the Soul Society ever since she was an infant, she was fortunate in finding, or rather being found by, a caring family. The couple that raised her, Michiko and Momosuke Saito, were kind everyone they met, and Mami was more than happy to follow their example. The Saitos were famous for adopting many children, having more than twenty by the time Mami reached adulthood. ‘Helping people’ became something of a mantra for her, and when it became apparent that she was developing enough of a Reiryouku to become a Shinigami, Mami would often daydream about joining the Fourth Division. A few years before she entered the Academy, Mami was playing with her Reiatsu, feeling quite proud of the simple tricks that she could pull off with it. AS a result, she unwittingly drew the attention of a hollow to her, and Mami was injured. She surely would have been consumed if Michiko Saito had not come to her daughter's rescue. Michiko was poisoned in the process, and unfortunately, no one could help her. The woman was in the hospital for some time, along with Mami. Mami's mother suffered greatly during this time, before she finally passed. This plays a big part in why she can not bare to see someone suffer for her sake. She blames herself for her mother's death, as do some of her older siblings. When she entered the Shinigami Academy, Mami at first focused on studying medicine and kido, believing that that would be a big part of the Fourth Division, and she seemed to be at least competent at it. This was a big deal for Mami, as she was used to being considered the single most clumsy person in the Soul Society, having once been responsible for the destruction of an entire two story building due to simply tripping in the street, so it was nice to have something she wasn't bad at. The trainee Shinigami would not have bothered any more than necessary with any of the basic arts, such as Hakudo, but several students thought it would be infinite entertainment to see Mami struggle to learn shunpo. She knew they were trying to have fun at her expense, but still let them bully her into some of the more advance studies of Hoho. But much to her surprise, everyone’s actualy, Mami was actually exceptionally talented at the art of movement. She couldn't explain it, but it just felt right to her when she tried to use shunpo, one of the simplest things in the world for her, despite its complexity. Eventually, she decided to become a messenger in the Seireitei, possibly attached to the second division, feeling that she could be of even more use to others than if she joined the Fourth as a medic. And she also wanted to use it as a chance to practice her shunpo, as she was still very clumsy. How she could move so far with so few steps, but still trip over her own feet in mid flash-step, was a mystery, especially to Mami herself. Not that she allowed something simple like that, simple in her mind at least, bother her in the least. Eventually, Mami has befriended a few people within the Seireitie, including Beat 'Levanin' Oddmund, and Ryuuhei Shikuga. At their suggestion, Mami became an Assistant caretaker for the animals at the Eight, which the young woman dedicated a great deal of her time to, although she had yet to find a way into a specific Division. That changed when she met Hiroku Shikuga one day. The man had been in the hospital suffering from a specific condition, when Mami happened to wander into his room. Over the course of a few visits to the ill Captain afterward, Mami befriended him, and eventually was excepted into the Thirteenth division as the Third Seat officer. This was much more than Mami could have dreamed for her first official position, but she swore to do her best no matter what. During the World Unification war, Mami was charged to look after Kiui, Ryuhei's younger brother for a short time, and had to bring him as well as a few of her 'Chicabos' to safety during that chaotic time. Later she took it on herself to look through the ruins and find survivors and bring them anywhere they could be safe. She met many people, some that gave her courage, such as Kenno Nai, and Takeshi Eto. Others served to give the girl some confusing new emotions. In this case, Rio Mōretsuna and Yuukari Asanomoi were responsible for those situations. There was one person that Mami met that shaped Mami's future than any other person she met for that time. A low ranking Seraphim, the first person that Mami ever fought a real battle against. Mami would not have even tried to fight, but the female Celestial was attacking a Soul Reaper and a child. Mami couldn't look away and save herself at the cost of someone else's life. No... she would not allow someone to die for her sake, whether it is their choice or her own, never again. Mami faced many of her fears in that time, greatly increasing her bond with Aoihime, and this gave her the strength she needed to strike the evil angel down. Mami barely survived the battle and lost consciousness, staying that way until after the war was over. Mami is a gentle soul, and the fact that she had to kill a person, regardless of the reason, weighed on her heavily. Hiroku took Mami under his wing, making her his apprentice, just as Rukia Kuchiki had done for him, once upon a time. Mami is working hard to live up to his expectations. Her deepened bond with Aoihime helped a fair amount in this regard, and she met a number of people as time went on. Many friends, and some not so friendly The lily that Mami had always worn in her hair up to this point was lost in her battle against the Seraphim. It was a memento of her late mother, and its loss hurt the girl more than any of her injuries. As part of an agreement she had made with Hiroku just before he asked her to be his apprentice, that the two of them would no longer keep secrets from eachother, Mami confessed what had happened with her mother, so long ago. She explained how a mistake on her part led to Michiko's death, but before that, the woman suffered a great deal from the Hollow's poison. This plays a big part in Mami's fear of seeing other people in pain. Hiroku was the only person in the Seireitei who knew that story. She kept it to herself even after that. So, it was not a big surprise that eventually her closed mouthed policy would backfire. During a conversation with Kenno, the young man asked a question that led to Mami leaving the conversation very suddenly. She has been avoiding him for a while after that... she has no idea on how to face the man again, at this point. Family The Saito family is quite large, although few of the members are related by blood. It started with Michiko and Leah Rion began taking care of the neighborhood kids in one of the more dangerous neighborhoods of the Rukongai. They had the help of a few friends, but most notably Momosuke Saito. In spite of the girls teasing him nonstop, as well as mercilessly, Momosuke helped out quietly and happily rarely complaining. The Rion sisters were considered to be some of the most notorious trouble makers in their district of the Rukongai, with 'Peach' acting as their muscle when ever they needed it. As time passed however, Momosuke became distant from his two friends, eventually disappearing from their side. He left only a vague note on how they might contact him, and was gone for nearly a century. The sisters were not happy about this, as they cared about the quiet man a great deal in spite of how they teased him, but they carried on as they always had: Helping any kid they found get their footing if they needed help. Life carried on one day until Leah found a certain baby. The child was incredibly small, as if they had not fully formed in its mother's womb in the human world. The child was not doing well, in fact, Leah was quite sure that the infant probably wouldn't survive much longer. Her sister couldn't stand to see this, and in a fit of desperation, she uses the contact information that Momosuke had left them so very long ago. For a while the women were worried that their friend would not come back, that he abandoned them. But the small giant came back and got to work saving the baby. Michiko did not leave his side during this entire time. Michiko and Momosuke named the child Mami, and decided to not just help this one, but to raise her, as their daughter. The two of them got married fairly hurriedly, and neither understood why Leah slowly began to stop visiting them a few years after their wedding. Over the years the Saitos' brought many infants and toddlers under their wings, not just looking out for the kids, but raising the children as their own family. Michiko would become quite angry if anyone suggested she was running an orphanage. These kids weren't orphans as far as she was concerned, they were hers, and she belonged to them. Things went quite well between the family for a long time right until Michiko's death. Shortly after the accident, Leah came back heartbroken that she had been avoiding her sister all this time. She had helped out with the children quite often, but avoided Michiko and her husband. She regretted that now, and spent everyday at the hospital, trying to make up for that mistake. After the funeral, Leah moved in with the family, doing her best to take her sisters place, but felt that that would be impossible. It took time, but the children accepted her eventually, some even calling her Mama. It was thanks to Leah that Mami got over her depression, the girl blaming herself for what happened to her mother. Leia on the other hand blamed the shinigami, particularly the Fourth division. Mami is not privy to all of the details herself, but she does know that this is the reason that Leah can not stand to be in the same room as anyone for the Fourth, not without punching them in the face at some point. After a time, things became more or less normal for the Saitos, and Mami eventually made her way to the Shinigami academy, hoping to make her family proud. Powers and Abilities Shunpo: Exceptional natural talent in the skill, almost enough to match the best in her rank. Kido: Most spells that are appropriate for her level of seiju. Kaido: Having been trained by Hiroku Shikuga, Mami is quite skilled in Kaido. Medical Knowledge: Mami never abandoned her goal of being a healer, and has studied hard to learn about the physiology of Shinigami, and all other known races. She has little practical experience with any being besides Shinigami, however. Zanpakutō Sealed: Simple, black sheathed Katana Zanpakuto Spirit ---- Aoihime is Mami's antithesis, in almost every possible way. The spirit is arrogant, confident, somewhat selfish, and loathe to do anything unless she wants too. She does not understand the way Mami thinks, particularly the girl's lack of confidence in herself. Aoihime believes that she is unrivaled in power, or rather, she would be if Mami would simply get her act together. Aside from a few details, Aoihime's appearance and voice are a very close match to Mami's deceased mother, Michiko. As Mami blames herself for the woman's death, she has been terrified to confront her spirit. As facing Aoihime would be the same as facing Michiko, at least in Mami's mind. And that is something that truly terrifies the clumsy shinigami... more than anything else in all the worlds. Spirit World ---- A nearly endless, pure and clean lake, covered in blue lily pads. The only form of landmark is the long red dock the stretches across much of the watery expanse of the spirit world. Aoihime spends most of her time in the water, however when she has to think, she moves to the dock instead. Aoihime ---- Shikai: Forms into two short blades, similar to a tuning fork, with the blades facing outward of both sides, and taking on a light, blue color after transformation. The hilt lengthens by about three inches, the end taking on a hexagonal shape at this time. The blade becomes flat and glasslike, almost having a crystalline quality. Solemn Law Aoihime will place a small seal, encasing the point that is struck with blue crystals, whether it be a hollow, a blade, or even herself. As long as the seal, which glows visibly, is in place, the target cannot move. The target will remain in the exact same position as when it was struck by Aoihime. It only effects the point that was struck however, so escaping the technique could be as simple as releasing a weapon or tearing off a piece of clothing. Even if a body part is struck, the victim will have full use of their other limbs, as well as their natural abilities. Note: This ability affects anything Aoihime touches, not cuts. The bind remains in place for 1 to two posts, depending on the targets sei. It lasts longer if their sei is four below Mami's. The technique will not work if they have four sei above Mami's. There is a cool down time of +1 to this technique. Meaning if it lasts for one post, Mami cannot use it again for two posts after that. Solemn Creed Aoihime begins to resonate with the earth, greatly increasing the destructive power of Mami's swing. While this ability is active, Aoihime will grow with a bright light and the edges of the blade jut outward jaggedly as the crystal blade grows and pulsates along with the gravitational pull. Solemn Rejection Creates a semi-transparent, gem like shield in front of Mami that is roughly two meters in height and one in width, although some variation on this is possible. The shield can block most reiatsu abilities (Enemy Sei is 4 or more higher than Mami's), but will crumble afterward in most cases. The shield's primary focus is to repel physical skills. Any Hakudo or Bukjutsuu ability will inflict damage on the attacker instead of on Mami. This will not work on exceptionally strong opponents ( Enemy Hak is 4 or more than Mami's Sei). In these cases, the attack will tear through the shield instantly. The shield will last until it is struck and then will usually fade, regardless of the type or power of the technique that hit it. Bankai Aoi ōjo no konagona ni shiro (Shattered Castle of the Azure Princess) Kingdom of Mourning The crystals that make up Aoihime's blade glow brightly before the blade shatters into hundreds of shards. The shards grow into large daggers, that circle around Mami responding to her will. The sapphire blades are primarily used as a cloud of daggers that she can use to create formations of sapphire. A giant sword, or a bed to carry an injured person on, or a simple cloud of crystalline destruction, the more complex a form and the longer it is held, the faster it will burn through Mami's stamina. Mami can control them at a fair distance from her body, or keep them close if she needs to, the delicacy with which the gems move depending entirely on her skill at Kido. Mami can alter the size by drawing them together and causing them to fuse into one. Alternately she can break the crystals down into smaller shards. However, there is a limit to how large of a crystal she can create and how many shards she can manipulate at once. Statistics Trivia Optional. Quotes "What? No, I wasn't thinking of Ryuhei-san dipping his bald head in oil and then rubbing it all over your body. Not at all.... So, you say you were in the Tenth?" said to Hiroku Shikuga in reference to his husband. I'll fall as often as I need to, in order to make sure you get up again "I'm Okay!" ~various situations Gallery Cute.jpg 7MxEWI3.png Hearts.jpg Sad.jpg Mami.png|Mami ready for a day at the beach. Mami Gigai..jpg 040cb520d25ed9dcf7679c120acf2d7a.jpg Category:Shinigami Category:Seireitei